Mancini on his team selection and The Carling Cup:

[Citizen of Ottawa]

People need to get a grip and shut the fuck up. Did Hughes have the Europa League to think about? Nope! You really think he would have gone full bore into the CC games if he had all those extra matches to think about? Nope!

Mancini did what he had to do. And what he did was absolutely THE right thing to do. There's still the FA Cup and the Europa League that we have the chance at winning. So like I said, calm down.

 

[Soulboy]

People need to get a grip and shut the fuck up. Did Hughes have the Europa League to think about? Nope! You really think he would have gone full bore into the CC games if he had all those extra matches to think about? Nope!

Mancini did what he had to do. And what he did was absolutely THE right thing to do. There's still the FA Cup and the Europa League that we have the chance at winning. So like I said, calm down.

It's okay for you to say calm down... but I've spent a £100 on watching our third team get embarrassed by WBA's reserves.

If Mancini wasn't interested, he should have told us that before I spent a small fortune in going to the fucking game!

But he didn't... he told us we were looking to win the trophy. In fact, in the summer, he told us we were going for everything such was the strength of our squad.

Now 5 games into the season and we're already running out of steam?

It's easy to be so blase, but I doubt if you were there to witness it.

 

[dannybcity]

People need to get a grip and shut the fuck up. Did Hughes have the Europa League to think about? Nope! You really think he would have gone full bore into the CC games if he had all those extra matches to think about? Nope!

Mancini did what he had to do. And what he did was absolutely THE right thing to do. There's still the FA Cup and the Europa League that we have the chance at winning. So like I said, calm down.

It's okay for you to say calm down... but I've spent a £100 on watching our third team get embarrassed by WBA's reserves.

If Mancini wasn't interested, he should have told us that before I spent a small fortune in going to the fucking game!

But he didn't... he told us we were looking to win the trophy. In fact, in the summer, he told us we were going for everything such was the strength of our squad.

Now 5 games into the season and we're already running out of steam?

It's easy to be so blase, but I doubt if you were there to witness it.

He's entitled to an opinion regardless of wether he went or not. I didn't go tonight because I couldn't afford it, but it was obvious to me that we'd be playing a weakened side and as a result we might get beaten.

 

[HardyBarlow]

Well, you seemed happy about something....

I don't see any value lording it around in the CL if you can't win any trophies domestically and, when you do get a shot at a grand old European powerhouse, you can't sell out your stadium.

Where do you put 'Qualified for CL' on your honours list...?

The Sheikh wants to turn is into a super power. 1 carling cup win won't make that happen. Qualifying for the champions league raises our profile and brings in new money. This raised profile then means we can attract top players and it's easier to win trophies with more money and better players.

Long term.

I agree in part with what you are saying, financially it is key with the new UEFA rules coming in. However, CL qualification, for me, is secondary to domestic honours. As mentioned earlier, the up and coming game against Juve could, to all intents and purposes, be a CL game. Would you feel any different? They still don't sell beer at the satdium.

The thing with transfers is debateable, I didn't see spurs making any earth shattering signings off the back of their CL qualifications.

We have 35 year old monkey on our backs and it has to me removed before we can even begin to think about being a 'Super Power'. Walk before we can run....

 

[NPBlue]

I understand what Mancini has said with regard to team selection, but surely, after spending so much money, he has a squad that could deal with tonights game.

Why bring in all those players to create a squad, and then give most of them a night off?

I'm disappointed tonight, not with the result, as you can't win them all, but with our approach to the game.

Perhaps it's a result of last seasons approach to the Carling Cup, but I was expecting more than we got tonight with regard to team selection.

Like many have said on here already, it is 34 years, and I, maybe naively, thought our wonderfully expensive and expansive squad was going to change all that and we would be going for everything in our path.

My expectations were obviously misplaced, but why do we have such a big squad of players that cost millions to assemble in some vain hope we could actually go and win a bloody cup, and we put the reserves ( sorry, Elite Development Squad) out?

It doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Soulboy]

It's okay for you to say calm down... but I've spent a £100 on watching our third team get embarrassed by WBA's reserves.

If Mancini wasn't interested, he should have told us that before I spent a small fortune in going to the fucking game!

But he didn't... he told us we were looking to win the trophy. In fact, in the summer, he told us we were going for everything such was the strength of our squad.

Now 5 games into the season and we're already running out of steam?

It's easy to be so blase, but I doubt if you were there to witness it.

He's entitled to an opinion regardless of wether he went or not. I didn't go tonight because I couldn't afford it, but it was obvious to me that we'd be playing a weakened side and as a result we might get beaten.

And I too am entitled to an opinion... yes?

It's interesting that you knew we'd play such a weakened side, 'cos I certainly didn't after hearing Mancini assure us that he wanted to win the fucking thing!

And you know what... I never once thought WBA would beat us. Strange that I had more faith in the manager and the team than you seemed to have.

But you called it right... and I wish I had done the same and stayed at home watching Coronation Street...

 

[HardyBarlow]

I don't see any value lording it around in the CL if you can't win any trophies domestically and, when you do get a shot at a grand old European powerhouse, you can't sell out your stadium.

Where do you put 'Qualified for CL' on your honours list...?

Are you the manager of the ticket office?

No, you would know if I was.

 

[dannybcity]

Are you the manager of the ticket office?

No, you would know if I was.

Well why are you so sure we won't sell out then?

 

[Soulboy]

No, you would know if I was.

Well why are you so sure we won't sell out then?

Because if they're all like you, they'll be sat at home watching the telly!

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

The Sheikh wants to turn is into a super power. 1 carling cup win won't make that happen. Qualifying for the champions league raises our profile and brings in new money. This raised profile then means we can attract top players and it's easier to win trophies with more money and better players.

Long term.

I agree in part with what you are saying, financially it is key with the new UEFA rules coming in. However, CL qualification, for me, is secondary to domestic honours. As mentioned earlier, the up and coming game against Juve could, to all intents and purposes, be a CL game. Would you feel any different? They still don't sell beer at the satdium.

The thing with transfers is debateable, I didn't see spurs making any earth shattering signings off the back of their CL qualifications.

We have 35 year old monkey on our backs and it has to me removed before we can even begin to think about being a 'Super Power'. Walk before we can run....

I see what you're saying and I do agree but hiccups like tonight can and will occur. We're still in 2 other cup competitions and on target to fight for a top 4 spot. It'll happen.